Morning Nuggets – Thursday, November 19, 2020
Today is International Men’s Day.
The Elements of Good Judgment – Harvard Business Review – “I’ve found that leaders with good judgment tend to be good listeners and readers—able to hear what other people actually mean, and thus able to see patterns that others do not.”
As U.S. Passes a Quarter Million Dead, Response Remains Disjointed – New York Times – “With coronavirus cases on the rise in all but one state and a newly reached American death toll of 250,000, this would not seem the moment for the United States to take a patchwork response to the pandemic.”
We know how to reduce the virus’s spread — even though we’re not doing it – New York Times – “We know a lot about how to control the virus’s spread. Mask-wearing makes a big difference. So does limiting indoor gatherings.”
Trump Has Abdicated in the Face of Disaster – The Atlantic – “The nation cries out for leadership, yet amid one of the worst crises to face the country in decades, President Donald Trump is nowhere to be found. He is hunkered down in the White House, not giving interviews or speaking to the public except through his Twitter account, where he is mostly spreading misinformation about the election.”
In the Covid Economy, Laid-Off Employees Become New Entrepreneurs – Wall St. Journal – “To adapt to the pandemic and the job loss it unleashed, more Americans are becoming their own bosses, setting up tiny businesses to work as traveling hair stylists, in-home personal trainers, boutique mask designers and chefs.”
Artificial intelligence is reshaping finance – Financial Times – “Essentially, Barclays and Amazon are linking data with AI analysis to approve credit (or not) and predict what customised services clients will want next.”
African fintech startup Chipper Cash raises $30M backed by Jeff Bezos – Techcrunch – “African cross-border fintech startup Chipper Cash has raised a $30 million Series B funding round led by Ribbit Capital with participation of Bezos Expeditions. The company offers mobile-based, no fee, P2P payment services in seven countries: Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa and Kenya.”
Deutsche Bank Says Investors Increasingly Prefer Bitcoin Over Gold as Inflation Hedge – Coindesk – “Bitcoin has long been considered by supporters as digital gold, due to its limited, predictable supply and use case as a store of value outside banking influence.”
George Clooney When We Need Him Most – GQ – “So, he says, he’s chosen directing. “Directing is the painter,” he says. “Acting, writing, you know, those are the paints.””
Programmable money isn’t new, we’ve had it for ages – Moneyness – “No fancy blockchains here.”
It’s hard to get rid of a bad boss. Instead, try a ‘soft coup.’ – Washington Post – “A dim bulb isn’t going to change itself. And rotating the room around it instead is terribly inefficient. But those seem to be the options your chief executive prefers over the most direct solution.”
How to prepare your digital assets in case of death – Macworld (Glenn Fleishman) – “Most of us feel macabre talking about death, but dealing with the fussy details ahead of time can solve endless problems later. It’s especially true with digital resources, as giant technology firms, including Apple, may not be responsive to your queries when someone’s gone.”